The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-12-22

] items. II sas coneoeled 10 ap 81
brought forth 10 iniquity.r
1 How Jadgs Skinner Wa. Regarded /
= Chicago
Il The Journal has already devoted con
/, siderabie space 10 notices OF the late Mar
skinner bat We cinno, forbesr giving tn
foliosiog extracts from an sddres. befor
Vie Chicago Historical Society. Delivers
By L. W. Blsichford 81 that city, III
long freud Of Mr. skinner They con
iAia some points not previously mention
ed. concerning the life and influence o
Mr. skinner in bis western home,
'in 1916 be was elected a member o
the Legislature, IN which body be per.
iormed memorable services. A, chairman
81 tue Finance Committee, the most ia,
portrait committee OF the House. be drew
The bill providing for the refunding OF ths
State debt, bill far reaching 10 It's scope
aud Elects aud which ultimately evoked
system aud order out of financial chaos.
lie Was a member of the State Convention
which formed tbe Constitution OF lS4S.
The Northern aud Southern mem bers
were srrayed sgalhst each other, and
/ there was au exciting contest. The cham.
1 pion OF the Northern mem bers, by mani
nous consent, was Mark Skinner, and
they won the fight At that time there
was imminent danger VI Reputation, the
Southern members being outspoken in
favor OF it and the Northern wing as Wig
oronsly opposing il.
| la 1851 the dece, sel was elected Judge
OF the Cook County Court Of Common
Pleas, which bad substantially the same
Jurisdiction as the present Superior Court,
tfansncling the criminal and nine tenths
OF tie eivil business of the county 10
1888 DO declined q re election Oh account
OF III health, aud for the same reason he
did not return to his law practice He
had hitherto been frequently consulted by
Eastern capitalists with reference to real
estate and loans IN the growing city Of
Chicago, something for which his legal
know ledge and fine business qualifications
eminently fitted him. Henceforth his
business lay mainly in that direction, aud
no man living or dead, has ever loaned as
mucb OH Chicago real estate us be. The
sums loaned ranged all the way from
81 600 to $500. 900 in single transaction.
For tie Connecticut Mutual Life-I nsur-
ance Company alone he ba l loaned $27,-
900 900, and shortly after his death was
witnessed the remarkable spectacle of the
President of that company presenting at
meeting OF the Board Of Directors me.
moral specify lug the great work he had |
done for the company, and eulogizing him |
for tie singular intelligence, foresight.
fidelity and watchiuIness for the com
panys interests which he had manifested,
AS well as for bis zeal for the company's
ieb.ors when they were in distress"
Another trust to which he gave his hes,
thought was the will Of Walter L. New
berry, under which he was executor aud
rusiee He drew up the will, docu
nent that had stood the severest tests 10
he courts, and how much the city of Chi.
ago was indebted to him for the m ,gnifi
ent library provided for therein the
World would never know.
While Judge Skinner did not make
Profession OF either politics or journalism,
or which he was admirably qualified, he
I'D nevertheless produced an effect upon
be morals and the business interests of
be great Northwest as far reaching and
enefcent as be could have done in any
apacity. Originally Democrat, in 1854 {
e attended a meeting at the fremont
louse, at which Lincoln was pres
ut, which took decided action in opposi.
on to Stephen A. Douglas and pledged
s participants TO support the Anti. /
ebrsska party, In 1866 he took an ac- a
We part In meeting held in the Court
ouse Square which resolved to support
eedom 10 Kansas aud send 500 free-State /
tt'rs there and stand by them. He was u
he OF the Executive Comm appointed
make the resolutions effective He
,horred the injustice and unsonndness of
e State nights views prom ulgsted at
at time. During the war be gave liber
" IN time aud money to support the
oion cause He always thought the mos 70
luable work Of his life was done in con- ~ a.
ction with the sanitary Commission
10 memorialist briefly sketched the work s
that commission. e,
Judge skinner was lifelong and reli.
lie friend OF the common schools In 81
AZ he was one u the seven School In.
ertors He helped to organize the NJ,
lool conventions out Of which have since
own the teachers institutes which -.
icago holds under the direction OF Su y
Howland. The Skinner "
lool at the corner Of aberdeen and Jack. At
!, was named after him in token OF his NC
vices III the cause OF education, ana ~ ~.
ile be was lying upon bis deathbed be Ina
ned check for 5000 to pay for books Of
night for the library Of that school. The s na
icago Library Association WAS organized IN IN
hin and be was Ito first Vice President. We
. be established the first reading room ing
III city at the northwest corner Of Lake ga
Clark streets. The Library Associs eor a
. was The fDreruauer Of the Public 10
nary Of today. He sss active 10 open Lot
the Cook County Hospital 10 ls47, and ma
yesrs later Was Que OF i,s honorary di Of
.ofE. he was one 81 the fret Pres al,
I, 81 the Chicago Home for The friend. On
and an incorporator Of the Chicago ~. ~
III aud Aid Socisty. He took a promi vii
| part 10 the formation Of the Chicago ban
orm School, which was oec of the frat con
rnatofy institutions TO sdopt the o.. y.
lily system. He was ope Of the founders ID
be New England Society. and 10 lsss A.
Tcred somewhai remarkable address sls.
The Vlndieation Of the Pilgrim Faith NC